…Police launch coordinated operation to rescue abducted monarch
Suspected bandits have abducted the traditional head of Olariya in Ode-Oriya community, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Chief Adeniyi Adelana.
The 60-year-old monarch was reportedly kidnapped on Saturday night around 8 p.m. when armed men invaded his residence in the community.
During the attack, the monarch’s wife sustained gunshot injuries after she allegedly attempted to flee from the assailants. She was shot in the hand and is receiving treatment.
A community source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said about six armed men stormed the compound and whisked the traditional ruler away through a bush path adjoining the area.
The incident has heightened concerns over insecurity in the community, with residents calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the monarch’s release and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
“They came into the village and targeted the Chief. It was already dark when about six of them stormed the compound to carry out the operation.
“We heard gunshots and later discovered that they shot his wife when she tried to escape. It is a very pathetic incident, and people are now leaving the village,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said coordinated rescue operations had been launched to secure the victim’s release.
He said preliminary investigations showed that the attackers invaded the premises under the cover of darkness and forcefully took the victim through a nearby bush path to an unknown destination.
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Abayomi added that the Divisional Police Officer of B Division, Owo, immediately mobilised a combined team of police operatives and other security personnel to the scene upon receiving the distress report.
According to him, the area was secured, and a preliminary assessment of the crime scene was conducted as part of ongoing investigations.
He also confirmed that the victim’s wife sustained a gunshot injury to her right hand and was rescued and taken to a medical facility, where she is receiving treatment and responding to care.
A full-scale search-and-rescue operation, he said, has been activated, with operatives combing nearby forests, bush paths, and possible escape routes in a bid to track the kidnappers and rescue the victim.
The police spokesperson disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, has directed all tactical units and intelligence teams to intensify efforts toward the swift rescue of the traditional ruler and the arrest of the perpetrators.
He assured residents that the command remains committed to securing the safe return of the victim and ensuring that those responsible face justice.
The command urged members of the public to remain calm, go about their lawful activities, and provide credible information that could assist ongoing operations, adding that vigilance and cooperation are crucial in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
